June 3rd 2008 saw the resignation of Gretna FC from the Scottish League. Founded in the 19th Century, as Gretna Green FC, they played local leagues. The club then was reformed in 1946 by local servicemen after the war, The Anvils played in the English "amateur" leagues originally, like the Carlisle and District League, the Northern League Div 2 and the Northern Premier League.
In the 1990s they played in the English FA Cup, the only Scottish club to achieve this since Queen's Park in 1887.They were playing in the English Northern League in 2001/2 and then applied and were accepted into the Scottish League, replacing Airdrieonians. In 2007/8 they had been to the Scottish Cup Final (June 3rd), losing on a penalty shoot out to Hearts. They played in the UEFA Cup as a result.
It then all went downhill with not much money, the club still playing at Raydale Park. Their financier pulled out with ill health also and the club went into administration, coming bottom of the SPL attracting crowds of only 450. The club was demoted to the 4th Tier in Scotland and went into liquidation, resigning from the Scottish League, reforming in the East of Scotland FL in July under the new name of Gretna 2008.
The National League Paper contained a letter from a chap in Topsham, Devon, who was concerned that Berwick Rangers FC (founded 1884) had dropped below the Scottish League Division Two, into the Lowland League. Before their relegation, the Borderers were the only England club to play in the Scottish Professional Football League. He wrote that there was a possibility of Gateshead collapsing, allowing Berwick Rangers to join the English National League North, geographically a reasonable suggestion, Berwick-on-Tweed of course, being in England. Why not Gretna!!
Following this season's Play-offs in Scotland, Cove Rangers from the Highland League won promotion to the Scottish League defeating Berwick Rangers, from the Lowland Football League, 7-0 over two legs, gaining promotion to the Third Division. The story is, the paper felt, that the Scottish pyramid is gaining in strength; 7-0?? maybe bits of it?
Meanwhile by in England, in 1950 the Football League was expanded to 92 clubs from 88. Two clubs joined each of the regionalised Third Divisions; South: Colchester and Gillingham and North: Scunthorpe and Lindsey Utd and Shrewsbury Town. They played each other on the first day of the new season each game ending 0-0. All four remain in the FL!!
 | |||
| Full name | Gretna Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | Black and Whites; Anvils | ||
| Founded | 1946 | ||
| Dissolved | 2008 | ||
| Ground | Raydale Park | ||
| Capacity | 3,000 | ||
| 2007–08 | Scottish P.L., 12th (relegated) | ||
Gretna Football Club was a Scottish club based in the town of Gretna, Dumfries AND Galloway, close to the border between England and Scotland. The club last competed in the Scottish Premier League, the then top flight of Scottish Football. Nicknamed the Black and Whites or the Anvils, the club was founded in 1946, and enjoyed rapid and continual success in the mid-2000s, reaching the Scottish Cup Final in 2006. However, the club fell into severe financial difficulties when its main financial backer, businessman Brooks Mileson, withdrew funds due to ill health, leading the club to dissolve in 2008.
Despite being based in Scotland, the club participated in amateur and semi-professional leagues in English football from 1947 until they were elected to the Scottish Football League at the third attempt in 2002. Relying heavily on substantial financial support from Mileson, the club were promoted through the Scottish leagues from the Third Division to the Scottish Premier League in less than five years.
Gretna qualified for a UEFA club competition on one occasion, in 2006, Gretna reached the final of the Scottish Cup whilst competing in the Scottish Second Division and were beaten by Heart of Midlothian. The winner of the Scottish would normally qualify for the UEFA Cup, but because Hearts had already qualified for the UEFA Champions League, through their league ranking in the Scottish Premier League, the place was passed to Gretna as runners-up!! They were eliminated in the Second Qualifying Round by Derry County, representing the Republic of Ireland, in a two-legged tie.
Gretna struggled badly in the Scottish League and the club were placed in administration after Mileson withdrew his support due to illness. At the end of the season, all of the club's staff were made redundant and the club was initially relegated to the Third Division due to its inability to guarantee fulfilment of their future fixtures. After this demotion, the one remaining offer to buy the club was withdrawn. The club resigned its place in the Scottish Football League on 3 June 2008 and was formally liquidated on 8 August. With no ground, staff, players or a competition to play in, the club's dissolution was inevitable and the club was formally liquidated by the administrators on 8 August 2008.
Near neighbours Annan Athletic won the vote to replace Gretna in the Scottish League.
The club's Supporters's Trust then decided to establish a new club, Gretna 2008, who were accepted into the East of Scotland F.L. on 2nd July 2008. Whilst sharing the same fanbase and a similar name, the new club has no legal connection with the original Gretna Football Club. The club initially played their matches at the Everholm Stadium, Annan. The club returned to Raydale Park in May 2009 which it now leases from the Raydale Partnership, a community group of which Gretna Supporters' Society is a member.
